PROJECT DATA SHEET: Grand Central Air Terminal

SEISMIC ENHANCEMENT FOR A MONUMENT OF AVIATION

Masonry Solutions International, Inc. 10815 Beaver Dam RD, Suite D Cockeysville, MD 21030 USA Tel: 877-815-7906 Fax: 410-771-1942

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Grand Central Air

Terminal (GCAT)

Location: Glendale, CA

Age: Built 1928

Key Topics: Seismic retrofit,

historic stabilization, NDE, CIF

injection, GS anchors

Project Background:

- Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT) or Grand Central

Airport was the first official air terminal for Los Angeles

- Several famous aviation pioneers made their mark at

GCAT, including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart,

Howard Hughes, and William Boeing

- With its close proximity to Hollywood’s studios of old as

well as all manner of aircraft, GCAT was a magnet for big

budget movies up to and including the 1940’s

- Due to declining profitability, GCAT shuttered in 1959. It

was later damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake

- The Walt Disney Company purchased GCAT in 1997 and

subsequently launched a major seismic retrofit project

Challenges Presented:

- Due to multiple building campaigns enlarging the original

terminal, a complex web of structural elements existed

- Hidden, riveted steel leads coursed throughout the

building and architectural flourishes adorned the exterior

façade, necessitating an extremely cautious intervention

- The renovation needed to address seismic concerns

while avoiding unwanted changes to aesthetics

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Services and Solutions:

- Masonry Solutions worked with the project team to

develop a comprehensive approach that utilized non-

ferrous internal reinforcement of GCAT’s walls - First Masonry Solutions’ technicians drilled vertically

through the exterior CMU and brick to allow for placement

of the Gruenstark Masonry Fabric Anchor System - Masonry Solutions applied advanced long-bore dry coring

tools and techniques, including use of the proprietary

Romeo I Coring Equipment - Installation of Gruenstark fabric anchoring followed, with

injection of Compatible Injected Fill, or CIF, to bond

reinforcements to surrounding masonry units - This allowed the team to strengthen key points of the

structure without precipitating needless intervention - Over 6800 linear ft. of Gruenstark fabric anchors were

furnished and installed by MSI - Additionally, due to voided and weakened masonry, MSI

injected MSI Flowable Fill , a cost-effective fill for large

open cavities, throughout the majority of the building,

bonding individual units together and providing rigidity - Masonry Solutions performed their work with caution to

protect and enhance without negatively affecting any of

the substantial architectural heritage present at GCAT

- This seismic retrofit project allowed Grand Central Air

Terminal’s historic visage to continue illuminating an era of

aviation for future generations of visitors to come

Masonry Solutions International, Inc. 10815 Beaver Dam RD, Suite D Cockeysville, MD 21030 USA Tel: 877-815-7906 Fax: 410-771-1942

Masonry Solutions International has worked in the

field of masonry preservation and enhancement for

over 20 years. It has pioneered a number of

advanced techniques, including compatible

masonry injection and undercut fabric anchorage.